One method of wastewater treatment involves transferring wastewater to a settling tank, where contaminants settle over time. As the settling tank becomes filled, a float triggers the operation of a pump which pumps water from the top of the settling tank for disposal; typically into a discharge field. It usually takes a number of days to treat wastewater by this method. For example, treatment of sewage to irrigation quality discharge may take 10 to 14 days. The throughput of such wastewater treatment apparatus is determined by the size of settling tank. There is a need for a wastewater treatment apparatus that is able to process wastewater more rapidly to achieve increased throughput over time without increasing the size of the settling tank.